Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed Lawal
The fight was for the Strikeforce light-heavyweight championship with Gegard Mousasi defending. Muhammed Lawal came into the fight undefeated. The fight broke Mousasi's fifteen fight win streak. The Fight The first round began. They circled. Lawal blocked a high kick. Lawal landed an overhand right. Four thirty. Lawal had his hands low in front of Mousasi bending down. Four fifteen. Lawal tried a single, Mousasi landed big rights in under, Lawal got the single finally to the guard. Mousasi threw up a triangle with four minutes. Lawal defended. Mousasi was struggling to stand. Mousasi got the butterflies in now. Three thirty. Lawal landed a left hand. Lawal stood. Three fifteen. Lawal came down to side control nicely. Three minutes. Mousasi looked relaxed. Lawal stood dodging an upkick. Mousasi missed some upkicks. Two thirty-five. Lawal came down to guard trying to pass but he couldn't. Two fifteen. Lawal landed a left hand and a left hand again. He stood. Two minutes. Lawal came down to guard. Lawal came down to half-guard. 'His chest is getting tired, I can see his ribs, Mo!' Lawal stood. One thirty-five now. Lawal came down to guard. He landed a left hand. Mousasi looked relaxed. One fifteen. Lawal landed a left hand. He came down and Mousasi shot forward and stood to the clinch. One minute as they broke. Lawal shot for a single. Mousasi stuffed it and landed a high kick that grazed the chin. Mousasi landed some big knees. Lawal got another double to guard. Thirty. The referee wanted work. Fifteen. Mousasi stood. Lawal landed a left hand and they clinched and broke. Lawal blocked a high kick. The first round ended. That round was Lawal's. The second round began. They stood there. Mousasi stuffed a single before it began. Lawal shot for another and changed to a double and got a half-guard. Four thirty-five. Mousasi turned and gave up the back. 'Grab the wrist, not the glove,' Big John warned Mousasi. (I'm starting back stoned after waiting a bit and it's funny cause that Big John statement helped me find my pause place fucking perfectly.) Four fifteen right there. Mousasi turned back to guard and landed three hammerfists from the bottom with four minutes. Mousasi laughed them off but those hurt. Mousasi's nose was bloody. Mousasi landed a hammerfist and a left hook from the bottom. Three thirty-five. Mousasi landed four more left hands from the bottom. Mousasi defended pass attempts. Three fifteen. Three minutes remaining. Lawal with his head low. Mousasi landed another trio of hard hammerfists and another pair of them. Two thirty-five. Mousasi landed another. Mousasi is outstriking Lawal from the bottom. He let Mousasi up. Lawal landed an uppercut. Lawal's hands were low. Mousasi landed a left hand and Lawal got a double to guard again. Two minutes. Mousasi landed another trio of hammerfists there from the bottom. One thirty-five. Mousasi landed a pair of upkicks to the back of the head. Mousasi landed a trio of backfists from the bottom. One fifteen. Mousasi shoved Lawal off and stood. Lawal is tired. They clinched and broke. One minute. Lawal secured another single-leg to guard. Mousasi landed a pair of backfists and a hammerfist and another pair of backfists. Lawal avoided a close triangle and an armbar and passed to side control with thirty-five landing a pair of hammerfists. Mousasi scrambled to his feet and Lawal was gassed on his knees. He stood dodging an uppercut. Mousasi had the standing back. He leaped up back against the fence looking for the hooks with ten seconds. He shoved off of the cage dragging Lawal down but the second round ended. I'd give that round to Mousasi. The third round began. They circled. Lawal partially blocked a body kick and ate an inside leg kick. Four thirty-five. They're both tired. Mousasi landed a jab. Lawal missed a right hand. Four fifteen. Lawal landed a blocked left hook and right hand. Mousasi landed a right hand. Four minutes. Lawal's legs were wobbly. They clinched. Mousasi kneed the body. Mousasi broke with another right hand. Lawal landed a body shot. Three thirty-five. Mousasi landed a pair of body shots. Lawal landed an uppercut. Lawal got a trip to half-guard and Mousasi regained guard. Three fifteen. 'Watch his left arm!' Mousasi looking to control an arm. Three minutes. Mousasi landed a hammerfist from the bottom. 'Somersault!' Two thirty-five. Mousasi passive off of his back. Lawal landed a big hammerfist. 'Hey King Mo, come on!' 'You need ammo!' Two fifteen. Lawal almost had the back. Two minutes. Lawal switched between wrist and head control. Lawal landed a trio of right hands in under. More. One thirty-five. Mousasi pulled half-guard. 'Watch the triangle, watch the kimura, elbows in!' Mousasi talked to his corner. One fifteen remaining. Lawal avoided an omoplata before it began. One minute. Lawal landed a right hand and another. A left hand in under. Mousasi kicked the body from the bottom. Lawal came back down nonetheless to half-guard. Thirty-five. 'Put him back on his back!' Lawal landed a big body shot. That was Lister yelling. Fifteen. Lawal stood over him. The third round ended. I'd give that to Lawal unfortunately. The fourth round began. Mousasi landed an inside leg kick. Lawal blocked a high kick. Lawal landed a great left hook. Four thirty-five. Lawal got a single-leg nicely. Lawal stood. Four fifteen. Shamrock was saying Mousasi had to knockout or submit Lawal. Four minutes. Mousasi landed a looping rabbit upkick. Lawal passed to half-guard. Lawal landed a body shot. 'Elbow!' What? Three thirty-five. Mousasi was just chilling. Maybe he thought the fight was like Dream. Come on. Lawal has caught a second wind. Three fifteen. Mousasi landed a massive upkick. Lawal dodged a triangle. Three minutes. Someone started a chant 'KING...they say MO!' Two thirty. The referee stood them up with two seventeen. Mousasi was slow to get up. Lawal landed a big uppercut. Lawal shot for a single, Mousasi sprawled and stuffed it with two minutes. Mousasi turned and pulled guard for whatever reason. He's mentally giving up. Lawal was in side control with one thirty-five. Lawal kneed the body and again. One fifteen. One minute. 'Watch the triangle!' Mousasi regained half-guard. Lawal had swelling underneath his left eye. Mousasi landed a pair of hammerfists from the bottom with thirty-five. Lawal landed a left hand. Fifteen. Mousasi landed three more hard hammerfists. A pair of hard backfists. Lawal stood and the fourth round ended. That was Lawal's round. The fifth round began. "And black guy, King Mo, the challenger. White guys, how do you have this fight scored?" Lawal's eye was closing. He landed a good left hook. Four thirty-five. Lawal shot for a single and switched to a double and got it to half-guard. Mousasi's takedown defense was nonexistent. 'Mo start the ground and pound.' Four fifteen. 'Do it again, a lot heavier!' Four minutes. Mousasi landed an upkick. 'Elbows in!' Three thirty-five. Lawal landed a hammerfist. 'KING... MO!' Three fifteen. Lawal landed a right hand. 'Hard right hand!' Three minutes. Mousasi landed an upkick as Lawal was on his knees. The referee paused it with two fifty-seven. Lawal said he was 'okay' and he shook his head when asked if the doctor should come in. McCarthy took a point. The crowd booed. Mousasi looked shocked as if it made a difference in the eventual outcome. They continued in the same position. Mousasi landed a trio of hammerfists from the bottom. Mousasi landed four hammerfists and he was warned for hitting the back of the head. Mousasi landed five more to the top of the head. Two thirty-five. Mousasi was warned for thinking about another illegal kick and he landed another hammerfist. Two fifteen. Two minutes with Lawal passing to side control. Mousasi was bleeding on the bridge of his nose. Mousasi backfisted from the bottom. He stood and they clinched. Mo had the standing back. One thirty-five now dude. Mousasi broke and nearly headbutted McCarthy. One fifteen with Lawal getting another single-leg to guard. Beautiful. One minute. Mousasi landed a hammerfist. Lawal landed a right hand. Thirty-five. Lawal stood. The referee stood Mousasi up. They exchanged with Mousasi aggressive but missing. Fifteen. Lawal got a hard double to the guard, putting an exclamation on it. The fifth round came to an end. Lawal won the fifth round and the title by unanimous decision. I scored it 49-46 for Lawal. All the judges scored it 49-45. Difference is I gave the second round to Mousasi.